You are omitting the plays that ND fan says cost them that they would like to have back. Things like fumbled kickoff, giving the Cards the ball at their own 9-yard line another time, etc. Those 2 plays literally handed the Cards 14 points. You don't mention those plays, as if they aren't key plays. They were.
You are focused on the key plays you don't like that hurt us, and forgetting the other team has plays they don't like that hurt them too. Also a 56-yard FG for an inconsistent UofL kicker in bad conditions, etc, etc. If you give both teams 5 plays back or a different result off each, you're probably right back where you started. You might even be worse off.